Floor covering



J. E. A. EGLESON Nov, 13, 192s.,

FLOOR COVERING `Filed Aug'. 17, 1927 11"" w im INVENTOR JAMES [AHNCST Ay EGLESON BWM ` ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 13,1928. 1,691,708

UNITED OFFICE.

JAMES ERNEST A. EGLESON, OIIEfEAST ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO CONGO- INC., A. CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

encon covname. Application mea august 17,- 1927. serial No. 213,484.

This invention relates to oor coverings, form thereon, in relief, any desired pattern and more particularly to a method of ornaor decoration 4.- When a color pattern is inenting floor coverings such as linoleum or formed within. the linoleum sheet, the emthe like,` and to the productl thereby probossed pattern may lcoincide therewith or duced. may be independent thereof. According to The principal object of my invention is the present invention, however, the surface to provide a floor covering of the linoleum of the embossed or depressed area is not of type having a smooth Wearing surface, free smooth contour, but in contradistinction is 60 from indentations or depressions, and at the uneven and rough, being formed to provide same time to provide in visual effect these a m ultiplicity\ of light-reflecting sur-faces very characteristics in a manner to cause within said embossed area. As illustrated the. smooth surface of the floor covering to in the accompanying drawings, the embossed possess the appearance of having a pattern or depressed areas 4 are lined or ribbed with ce embossed thereon, in relief. fine V-shaped grooves 5, to provide a multi- Broadly, my invention consists in embossplicity of light-reflecting surfaces 6. A paring or depressing any desired configuration ticularly artisticA and novel appearance is upon single-colored or vari-colored linoleum presented when the depressed surface of ceror the like, forming a multiplicity of lighttain of the embossed figures is lined or f reflecting surfaces within the embossed or ribbed with line V-grooves to provide a muldepressed areas, and thereafter filling such tiplicity of surfaces which reflect light in one embossed or depressed portions with a transdirection, as -at 7 while the depressed surparent coating whereby a smooth wearing face of .certain other gures is linedv or surface is produced. ribbed with tl-shaped grooves to reflect light In the drawings 1n another direction as at 8./ Another form Figure 'l is a plan View of a piece of linoof roughened or uneven, depressed surface leum. embodying my invention. which is especially advantageous in carry- Figure 2' is a sectional view onthe line lng out the present invention is produced 2-2 of Figure 1. by cross-lining the surface of the embossed Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view pattern with a plurality of ,fine V-grooves l showing in detail the'construct-ion of a floor to form a multiplicity of pyramidal lightcovering produced according to my invenreflecting surfaces, as shown at 9. tion. Both the embossed pattern 4 and light- Referring to the illustrated embodiment, reflecting surfaces 6 within the depressed 85 reference numeral 1 indicates a sheet of areas may be formed simultaneously upon linoleum having -the usual burlap `or felt a plane-surface linoleum sheet by means of backing 2, and having a layer of linoleum an embossing roll or embossing plate having composition a lplied thereto. The linothe desired raised configuration thereon. leum sheet may e formed by any of the TheV raised portions of the lroll or plate, well-known methods. It may be produced which are to serve to indent or depress the by calendaring single-colored or vari-colored surface of the linoleum, instead of having a linoleum composition directly upon the bursmooth contour, will be roughened, such porlap or felt backing, or vari-colored tesserae tions being lined or cross-lined with fine of preformed sheets of linoleum composi- .ll-shaped grooves. The embossing operation W tion may beapplied to a suitable backing is advantageously carried out independently according to the so-called straight-line of the sheet forming operation, although in rocess, or the linoleum sheet may be some cases it may become desirable to comormed with any desired color pattern by bine these operations, in which case the emthe moulded inlay process. v bossing plate or roll serves not only to delo@ The smooth surface, linoleum sheet thus press portions of the linoleum below the produced, either of a single color as shown, general surface level, but also to compact or lhaving a desired color pattern .formed and consolidate the entire linoleum compositherein, is then embossed or indented, to tion into the form of a sheet. 'The linoleum V Ul form of my invention, not only are the depressed areas completely filled with such transparent material, but a film thereof is applied over the entire surface of the sheet,-

thereby forming a uniform wear-resisting outer coating. Preferably, the. coating comprises cellulose ester lacquer,l such as the well-known pyroxylin lacquer or vcellulose nitrate, although I have found that a tough, clear varnish is also satisfactory. `rIn fact,

any tough, transparentcoating having properties similiar to cellulose esters or varnishes will be found suitable.v This transparent coating 10 is preferablyapplied by means of the well-known spreading machine containing as one of its essential elements a knife or doctor blade which is adapted tospread the Jcoating material uniformly, whereby not only the depressed areas are filled with such transparent material, but a thin film thereof is applied over the entire linoleum sheet. The coating operation may be carried out in other ways if desired, as for example, by sprayingk the transparent coating upon the linoleum sheet. Likewise, it may be found advantageous, particularly when ap- -plying a coating comprising a cellulose ester,

to form the complete coatlng by successive `applications of a plurality of thin coatings,

whereby a smooth, tough, wear-resisting, but transparent surface is ultimately formed. Whatever method is chosen, however, the essentialfeature of this part of my invention is to completely lill the embossed or de- :ressed areas ofthe linoleum sheet with the iransparent coating, thereby providing alioor 4covering which possesses a smooth wearing,

surface, free from all depressions or indentations.

By providing a multiplicity of light-refleeting surfaces formed within the depressed or indented areas and beneath the transparent coating, the embossed pattern is made to stand out strikingly in contrast with smooth-contour embossed patterns. Furthermore, ioor coverings thus produced have the attractive appearance of possessing a decoration formed thereon in relief, while in fact the surfaces of such coverings are smooth and free fromallindentations.

. It will be obvious that numerous modifications may be made in the manner of carrying put my invention, without departing from the spirit thereof, and I do not wish to limit its scope, except as defined in the appended claims Claims:

1. As a. new article of manufacture,-a linoleum floor coveringfhaving embossed or depressed areas forming a pattern thereon, a multiplicity of light-reflecting surfaces formed within said depressed areas, and a transparent coating material filling such depressed areas. r

2. As a new article of manufacture, alinoleum floor .covering having embossed or depressed areas forming a attern thereon,

a multiplicity of light-re ecting surfaces formed within said depressed areas compris-` ing fine V-shaped grooves, and a transparent coating material filling said depressed areas and forming with the unembossed portions a smooth wearing surface.

3. As a new artlcle of manufacture, a

llinoleum floor covering having embossed or depressed areas forming a patternpthereon, 85 a. multiplicity of light-reflecting surfaces formed within said depressed areas, certain of said light-reflecting surfaces adapted to refiect light in one direction, certain other light-refiecting surfaces adapted to reflect light in another direction, and a transparent coating material filling said depressed areas and forming with the unembossed portions a smooth wearing surface.,k

4. As a new article f manufacture, a linoleum floor covering having embossed or depressed areas forming a attern thereon,

a multiplicity of light-re ecting surfaces formed within; said ldepressed areas, and ay transparent coating material filling said de- 100 pressed areas and forming a thin film over the entire linoleum surface.

5. As a new article of manufacture, a linoleum floor covering having embossed or depressed areas forming a pattern thereon, a` multiplicity of light-reflecting surfaces formed within said depressed areas, and a transparent Vcoating material comprising a cellulose ester filling said depressed areas and forming a thin film overthe entire linoleum surface. v

6. A method of orn'amenting ioor covering of linoleum or the like, which comprises the steps of forming a. sheet of linoleum composition, embossing or depressing portions of the surface of said sheet to form a attern thereon, in relief, forming a multiplicity of light-refiecting surfaces within said depressed areas, and thereafter filling the embossed or depressed areas with a transparentv coating material to provide a smooth wearing surface. v f

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

y ,JAMES ERNEST A. EGLEsoN. 

